Windmill.



PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. R. H. PHILLIPS. WINDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1903.

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R. H. PHILLIPS.

WINDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED R0120. 1003.

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UNITE STATES Patented August 9, 190a.

RALPH H. PHILLIPS, OF RA'IIIBONIC, OKLAHOMA TlTItRltlTORY.

WINIDMIILL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 76?,080,dated August 9, 1904.

Application filed November 20, 1903. Serial No. 182,012. (No model.)

To all whom it may (BOW/(387771.

Be it known that I, RALrn H. PiLiLLIrs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rathbone, in the county of (luster and Territory ofOklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWindmills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention belongs to the type of engines which utilize currents ofair as the motive medium and to the variety employing a motor-wheelarranged to rotate in a horizontal plane and about a vertical axis, aportion of the wheel being protected by a wind-guard and the oppositeportion being exposed to re ceive the impact of the air-currentsutilized for operating the engine.

The improvement consists, essentially, of the novel manner of mountingthe parts and the peculiar means devised for automatically controllingthe wind-guard, so as to adapt itself to the shifting currents of air,whereby the engine is continuously driven when required for work andthere is in existence a current of air of suflicient strength to operatethe machine.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of inodi iication, still the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a perspective view of a windcngine specially designed for attainingthe objects of this invention. Fig. 2 is a hori zontal section thereofon the line X X of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the engine. Fig.4 is a vertical section on the line Y Y of Fig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The derrick or tower 1 may be of any construction to form a substantialsupport for the operating parts and is provided at its upper end with acircular track 2, upon which is mounted a rotary frame or reel providedwith the wind-guard 3, said frame having rotary supports or axes at,arranged to travel upon the track 2. The shaft 5 of the engine isjournalcd centrally of the derrick or tower and is mounted inantifriction or ball bearings, so as to minimize the resistance andreduce the friction to the smallest amount possible. The shaft 5 may bemounted in any substantial manner and'projects above the tower adistance to receive the motor-wheel, reel, and the vane for holding theengine in the wind.

The rotary frame or reel comprises a plurality of upper and lowercrossed arms (5, connected at their outer ends by vertical bars 7. Thisreel is loosely mounted upon the shaft 5, so as not to interfere withthe free rotation thereof when the engine is in operation and to move soas to adapt itself to the direction of the air-currcnts. The rotarysupports or caster-wheels fare secured to the lowermost arms of the reelor frame and are positioned .so as to obtain a safe mounting upon thetrack 2 and to balance the reclthereon, whereby the shaft 5 is relievedof any strain incident to a leaning of the reel toward any particularside.

The wind-guard 3 is one-fourth of a circle or thereabout and may beconstructed of sheet metal or other material adapted for the purpose.The guard is arranged to cover one half of the forward portion of thewheel, thereby leaving the other half exposed, so as to receive theaction of the wind.

The vane 8 for automatically controlling the wind-guard may be of anyconstruction and is i'nountcd coaxially with the motorwheel, preferablyupon an extension of the shaft Bars 9 are secured at one end to the vane8 and are loosely mounted at their other end upon the vertical extensionof the shaft 5, so as to admit of independent movement of the vanewithout a'llecting the movements of the motor wheel or reel. Cords orropes 10 are connected to the vane 8 and project in opposite directionstherefrom and pass through keepers 11. at opposite sides of the vane,thence over guidc-pulleys 12, applied to the reel, and are provided attheir lower ends with weights 13, which hold the reel and windguard inproper position. The vane 8 when properly adjusted with reference to thewheel and the guard is secured to the reel in any manner by fasteningeither one or both of the cords 10 thereto by suitable means. A curvedtrack let connects upper adjacent arms of the reel and supports thewheel 15, secured to the lower edge of the vane 8. As is well known, inengines of the type aforesaid the vane 8 always occupies a positionparallel with the current of air and shifts with the direction ofcurrent, so as to hold the engine in the wind or out of the wind, as maybe determined upon. The vane 8 of the present invention performs theaccustomed oflice and automatically shifts the wind-guard so as to coverone half of the forward portion of the motor-wheel and leave theopposite forward half exposed for action of the air thereon.

The motor-wheel comprises corresponding upper and lower arms 16 andsails 17, which are connected at their upper and lower edges tocompanion vertically-alined arms and belly or curve intermediate oftheir upper and lower edges, so as to receive the full benefit of thecurrent of air. The sails 17may be of textile, sheet metal, or othersuitable material for this purpose and may be connected to the arms inany substantial manner. The arms 16 may be secured at their inner endsto the shaft 5 in any determinate way, preferably by being attached tohubs or collars 18, which are fast to the shaft 5, in any way common inengines of this variety. The motor-wheel is arranged to operate whollywithin the reel or rotary frame supporting the wind-guard; hence is in ameasure protected thereby.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. In awind-engine, the combination of a motor-wheel arranged to turn about avertical axis, a wind-guard for protecting one-half of the forwardportion of the motor-wheel, a support for said wind-guard mountedcoaxially with the motor-wheel, a governing-vane mounted coaxially withthe motor-wheel and wind-guard support, flexible connections extendedfrom opposite sides of the vane and loosely connected with thewind-guard support at opposite sides of said vane, and weights appliedto the lower ends of said flexible connections, substantially asspecified.

2. The herein-described wind-engine comprising -a derrick provided witha circular track, a vertical shaft journaled centrally of the derrick, areel loosely mounted upon the shaft and provided with rotary supports totravel upon said circular track, a wind-guard applied to a portion ofthe reel, a motor-wheel secured to said shaft and inclosed by said reeland comprising horizontal arms and vertical sails curved intermediate oftheir upper and lower edges, a vane loosely mounted upon the shaft, acurved track and rotary support sustaining said vane, flexibleconnections projecting from opposite sides of the vane and looselyconnected with portions of the reel, and weights applied to the lowerends of said flexible connections, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH H. PHILLIPS. [1,. s]

\Vitnesses:

J. F. ARMSTRONG, A. BROADDUS.

